Glistni
by JMK758
Summary: Tia Anlor's exploration of life aboard the Enterprise, and her place within it, continues, leading to some interesting discoveries.
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: Paramount owns everything except Tia Anlor (Ahn-lore). As I have said in 'Golden Girl' and 'A Few Words', she belongs to me. These stories occur in order. This is the third story Tia appears in. Later works include: 'Small Time', 'What do I do now?', 'Daasii', 'Noblesse Oblige'

Glistni is from the Auran language, meaning 'Biologist'.

Perspective: This story takes place the day after 'A Few Words', thus being Tia's 4th day aboard the Enterprise.

Rating: PG

Glistni

by JMK758

Chapter One

When Tia Anlor opened her eyes, it took her a moment to realize where she was. She had been dreaming, she thought, of Aura and her home, and now for a moment the room she was in was strange. But in a matter of seconds, the memories flooded back and filled in the pieces.

The metal walls that surrounded her were not the pale brown wood of her bedroom. The view through the window before her was not the golden dawn of Aura's sun, but the rapid streaks of stars, comets and other space matter seen through the effects of a starship's warp field. The cot she lay on was not her soft bed in the room she rented in the home of her friends, but one assigned to her by the humans aboard this ship. She was in space, trillions of valyris from her bedroom; her world was a long way behind her, and all her friends were dead.

"Kisteis." She whispered softly. "Qua linli guroriis welli wrintrilou." But as much as she could hope it was all a dream, it was not. Looking about the room, seeing nothing there that was hers but knowing that from this time forward it was all things she had to get used to, she knew it was not a dream. "Oh Aura! Duliq qua liis zurllo iwus guzquei ler!" But much as she wished her friends had lived to see this, it could not change the bitter reality that they had not.

She was alone, on a strange ship traveling to who knew where, among strangers she could just barely understand but could in no way comprehend, and she had to get used to it or go mad!

She pushed the cover off her bare body, sitting up and trying to get her bearings. The walls were metal, not the wood draped with lovely cloth of gold she was used to. To her right was an even smaller room than the one she was in, and through the door to her left was a slightly larger one where she had sat with her new friend Hoshi Sato, while the other woman worked to teach her the language of the people she had so unexpectedly found herself living among.

These strange people, they were like her in body and yet not. Far more like her than the Silurians were, they had evolved just as Aurans had, except that their bodies were designed to be based on carbon and iron, rather than carbon and gold, giving their flesh a pinkish hue, rather than a natural golden complexion. In fact, when any of them had mentioned golden skin to her, they seemed to mean a deepening of their own native pigments rather than pure gold. She herself was not like the metal taken from her world so long ago, but tinted in various shades in the way their bodies were tinted in shades from their red blood. Still, the pink was an interesting color ...

She stood up, stretching her body, hands reaching over her head, fingers just touching the low metal ceiling. The others on this ship were taller; some of them likely couldn't do this. Of all those she knew, Hoshi was perhaps the closest to her in height. By the measure of these humans, she knew she stood 61 of their inches, or 5 of their 'feet' plus one more twelfth. She had learned that their 'foot' was 12 inches, which she had been told was the length of a foot, but she had seen that almost everyone she met had different size feet, and she had quickly slotted this piece of information into that rapidly growing 'file' of things that confused her about this race.

That 'file', after four days with them, was becoming immense!

-

She looked at the chronometer on the desk by the right wall, the numbers reading 06:21. If she was interpreting them right, she had 99 of their 'minutes', or 113 of her own piwu before she was due to report to Lt. Abrams.

She went into the smaller room which, though it contained several things, was dominated by a cylindrical shower, partially obscured and partially transparent. It had to be entered through the curving wall, and the entire thing seemed odd. The portions that were obscured were roughly where her pringlee and sulyas would be hidden from anyone outside the shower, but who would be out there? Certainly, if she knew someone well enough to be in this room with her, that person would be within the contraption. Someone like...

She forcibly stopped herself from thinking about Shar-les. Certainly he did not think of her in any particular way, definitely not in the way she had been thinking about him in the brief times they had spent together. And thoughts of him were starting to do things to her, things low in her body, that she did not want to think of since there was no possible way he would be interested enough to...

"Kraanstat!" She exclaimed. It did no good to wish! He was nice to her, but he would certainly want a human, not a refugee Auran whose ways were probably as incomprehensible to him as his were to her. And she felt nothing from him, no feeling in her that he would want...

Bitterly, she entered the shower, thinking of how nice it would be if he were there with her. She could not help it; she couldn't get him out of her mind! When she closed her eyes she could almost see him, and when she was in bed last night she couldn't stop thinking that maybe, just maybe, he might possibly...

Frustrated, she banished the insane thought from her mind, reached out and gave the right knob a furious twist!

Her shriek echoed in the small chamber as she tried to protect her body from the stream of ice, pressing back against the curved wall, twisting and turning in a useless though instinctive effort to escape the frigid jet and instead turning more of her body to its abuse until she forced herself to stop protecting her body and grasp the knob again, twisting it back. She stood gasping in the sudden silence, the water dripping from her golden body, shivering in the intense cold. Her flesh was now a bright gold.

She shook her head ruefully. Using more care, she moderated the temperature of the two knobs until she felt less like she'd jumped into a vat of liquid hydrogen!

At least there was one good thing, however: her body no longer felt like it had when she thought of Shar-les.

-

She had put on a blue skirt and light blue blouse, choosing it from the collection of matter re-sequenced clothing that Hoshi Sato had helped her accumulate. The linguist had been particularly helpful in getting her used to life aboard this ship, being with these humans. Not only was she teaching her English so that Tia could fit in without the crutch of a machine translating her every word, but she was teaching her about all things human. Of course, so much of what she said was completely baffling, while other things were monumentally confusing, but Tia decided that, in time, it would all start making sense.

Anyway, she knew the clothing she was wearing was considered both attractive and acceptable to humans. It was considerably different from choices she would have made for herself, preferring much more draping garments of brighter colors and more floral designs, but in this instance she deferred to her friend's judgment.

The skirt that she wore went mid-way down to her knees, and the blouse had no sleeves but buttoned high to her neck. She left the top three buttons unsecured. Hoshi had spoken to her about keeping her pringlee covered when among them, but this garment closed to about the level of her alyes, which were covered, so she supposed this to be sufficient for the human norm.

On Aura, the concept of covering particular parts of her body as opposed to others did not make any sense, as no part was of any particular importance than any other, but to the humans it did, so she complied with their rules. On Aura, what one wore depended upon personal preference and the weather. Here there were rules that seemed obscure at best and incomprehensibly contradictory at worst. Still, she followed Hoshi's advice, whether she understood it or not. Usually not.

---

When she entered the galley, filled still with the joy of discovery, and saw the looks in the eyes of three uniformed young men to her right, she decided she had nonetheless chosen well.

One of them smiled more than the others, his eyes stroking her body. He raised his hands to her, the bottoms of his hands touching, as well as his fingertips, leaving a small pointed oval of space between them, through which he looked rather pointedly at her. The others seemed particularly interested in this, and though she didn't understand the gesture she raised her own hands to copy it, looking at him through her slightly spaced hands.

He seemed particularly delighted, and brought his hands very slightly together, decreasing the space. She smiled, happy to be able to establish communication, or at least contact, even if she did not understand it yet, and copied the change, not certain what the significance was, and his friends seemed amused. He tightened the space a little more, looking at her questioningly. He was clearly asking her something, but she had no idea what. Going with her instincts, she smiled back and pressed her hands together.

He seemed delighted by this, his friends extremely interested as well. One of them beckoned to her, but before she could take a step, from the left side she saw Hoshi Sato approach the table, cutting across her view, her body blocking Tia's sight of the men as she leaned over the table, her voice pitched so low Tia could hear nothing but her manner one of outraged fury.

Though Tia did not hear what Hoshi was saying, the expressions of the three young men went quickly from surprise through contrition to distress; and then they left the table, none of them looking at either woman as they left.

Hoshi stood at the table, her back to Tia, for several seconds; and when she finally turned Tia could see a fiery anger in her friend's eyes. Tia felt a stab of apprehension, and started to take a step back, but in the seconds that it took for Hoshi to step up to her, she had hidden the expression behind a smile. "I'm sorry about that. It was very disrespectful what they were doing."

"I ... understand not." Tia said, hunting for the right words. She had assimilated so much English yesterday that, despite an exceptional memory, much of it was still a jumble. Hoshi thought briefly, trying to find the words to explain to the Auran.

"What they were saying was ... inappropriate."

"What were they curlak ... saying?" Hoshi looked about; making sure no one was paying attention. She pitched her voice low.

"He was asking ... well, he was asking about the ... about your sulyas."

Tia was surprised. Of what interest would that be to anyone other than a person she would be intimate with? "What about it?"

"Well, I ... that is..." Tia's smile faded.

"Are saying you they to lialu me wanted?" Hoshi hesitated.

"If I understand you right, yes."

"_Kiel vantis!_" Her sharp exclamation cut through all surrounding conversation, bringing the room to a deafening silence. Tia was outraged; it was absolutely disgusting, and she told Hoshi so even if the woman did not understand what she said. She launched into a fiery diatribe where she told her new friend all about humans and what was appropriate in the way to express one's self to a young Auran woman! It was probably just as well the U.T. was turned off; because she had the feeling she would probably burn it out!

Hoshi waited until Tia ran down, and then asked with a small smile: "Keelyas vintlinti?"

"Yes. Feel better I do. Did ... understand me you?"

"Not a word." Hoshi lied.

Tia thought it over. "Good. Use language like that I do not."

The linguist grinned. "Come on. I have a friend I want you to meet."

The golden girl hesitated. "Will ... want my sulyas he will not?"

"I very much doubt it."

---

Hoshi led her over to the table where she had been seated, and waiting for them was a young woman wearing the uniform trimmed with the blue color of the Sciences section. She was young, perhaps early thirties as Tia understood human biology. Her skin was some shades lighter than Hoshi's, and her short hair was a light medium brown, framing features that were at once delicate and determined. "Tia Anlor, Elizabeth Cutler." Hoshi said in introduction. The young woman held out her hand, which Tia remembered in the nick of time to grasp.

"I'm happy to meet you." The young woman said. "I missed you yesterday. I was off duty when you were introduced to the rest of the team."

Now Tia remembered; she had heard the name yesterday when she met Lt. Abrams and the rest of the biologists serving aboard Enterprise, after she had been assigned at her own request to work in that department.

"I ..." She hesitated, unsure. She did not want to repeat the same words, but others escaped her. And they were not in an order she was used to. But then again, none of the human speech she heard seemed right. The words were so often scrambled from the way they ought to be.

Of course, she couldn't deny it was she herself that was not fitting in; she just could not get used to it. "I ..." She looked pleadingly at Hoshi. "Lorkri palurani dinglirou minere! Dilyanta cuvres alyanti." Hoshi reached out, touching her arm reassuringly.

"It's all right." She looked at Elizabeth. "She can't think of what to say in English, but she wants you to know she is happy to meet you too."

"Is the UT on the fritz again?"

"No. But she doesn't want to use it."

"I learning English am. Hoshi me teaching. To on a machine depend I would be understood off Enterprise never."

"I see. Why don't you sit down?" Tia did so, trying to mask her nervousness. "How long have you been studying? I thought you were on board only a few days."

"Day ... Yesterday Hoshi teaching me started."

Cutler gaped at her. "You learned all this in a _day_?"

"I a good linden ... 'memory' have. Hear what your word matches mine, it I remember. At least, unless nervous I get. Forget I do."

"Well, I must say I am very impressed."

"Words, sometimes make sense they do. But reasons, that have ... trouble I with do." She glanced at the empty table near the door. "Know what mean they not. Greeting thought I it mean did." Cutler glanced at Hoshi.

"Babe in the woods."

Hoshi nodded. "She could use a big sister."

Tia, struggling over the unexpected reference to 'babe in the woods', whatever that was, had no idea what they meant by a 'big sister'. "Sister I have."

"Oh?"

"Nissa. She is nine ... what is word? Palyis. Cycles of Aura about sun?"

"Years?"

"Nine years old. She goes to..." Suddenly Tia couldn't speak, a sharp wave of emotion silencing her. She fought to control, to suppress it as her two new friends looked on in concern. She couldn't breathe, her throat constricted in an effort to withhold the emotion. It took all her strength of will to fight the sudden flood that threatened to overwhelm her. Finally, after a long moment, she had recovered enough control that she could breathe again.

"What is it? What's wrong?"

"Nissa." She looked at them, her eyes glistening with tears she absolutely _refused_ to shed. She tried to speak clearly, but her voice was reduced to a trembling whisper. "I am my sister going to see again never!"

In the silence, the reality drove a blade into her heart.


	2. Healing

Chapter Two

Healing

In accord, Hoshi and Elizabeth reached out, each taking one of her hands as Tia fought for control. She would not give in to the emotion. She would not! She was in public, and she would not give in! She was among humans, not Aurans, and she would certainly not give in! "When kilyes ... when ran we did, knew what lis – leaving behind we were." Her words were strangled to strained whispers. "Knew it I did. Let myself ... about it think, would not!"

Cutler's hand closed more firmly about hers. "Oh, Tia, I am so sorry."

"About another thing talk! Please! Cry can not! Cry _must_ not! Qualsia! Please!"

"Are you ready for your shift in Bio? Abrams can be demanding." Tia gasped.

"Ready I am!"

"Good, because we'll be making planetfall in two days, and there's a lot of work to do. We're going to have to set up collecting and cataloguing samples at the beginning, and analysis of dozens of things. We'll be starting with spores and taking them through cultures, hopefully to explore their entire life cycle. Have you had much experience with that?"

"Yes, much. Is hard not, to study ..." She had to think for a moment about the words. "single celled orgasms."

Hoshi and Liz exchanged a look, both trying to keep their faces still. "I think," Elizabeth said very carefully, "you mean 'organisms'."

"Orgasms are ...something else." Hoshi explained, trying not to let anything show in her tone.

"They sure are!" Cutler commented with a lascivious smile.

"Single not?"

"Well ..." Liz said thoughtfully. "You can have them singly, paired, I've even seen clustered." Hoshi shot her a fiery look.

"The words are ... similar, but not alike." Hoshi tried to keep her voice less tight then she felt, trying her best to keep on track despite her friend's antics. "Remember I told you about English having similar words, including synonyms, homonyms ..." Hoshi gave up. "Just trust me."

"Yes. Then 'orgasms' are single celled not."

"Well, under certain circumstances, I suppose you can have them in a cell."

"Liz, you're not helping!"

Tia watched the exchange between the two women; feeling no less mystified, and finally gave up. She supposed she would understand in time, but not this morning. "But ... the laboratory, the methods you use, I may have..."

"I thought of that." Hoshi said, taking out a padd and handing it to Tia. "It wasn't easy, but I think this should help." She turned it on, and on the screen a series of words started to flow. "This is hooked into the UT. Set a speaker up on the display in Bio, and this will translate what is on the screen into Auran, as it's doing now to my words."

Tia started to smile, and tried to stifle a laugh. "It will help you to get acclimated to reading English and ..." As the text continued to flow Tia tried harder to stifle quiet giggles. "What's so funny?" When the screen dutifully translated this, and also her own laughter, into Auran text, Tia dissolved in peals of tinkling high laughter "Sheesh, do someone a favor..." When Tia read this translation, all hope of control completely lost, she completely lost her composure, laughing so hysterically she nearly fell out of the chair. Elizabeth and Hoshi barely managed to keep her from tumbling onto the floor.

Hoshi turned off the infernal device, but it was a long time before Tia could recover even an illusion of composure. "Thank you!" She gasped, breathlessly. She threw her arms about Hoshi, hugging her. "Thank you, thank you, thank you! I in weeks laughed so much have not!"

"Glad to help." Hoshi said, trying not to sound miffed.

"I think it's your spelling." Cutler suggested helpfully.

"That _spelling_ was?" Tia asked mirthfully.

---

After breakfast, Tia accompanied Elizabeth to the Bio labs, where she took her place in the midst of a venue that seemed equally familiar and strange. It was familiar in that every bio lab had to follow certain standards, and research into new and unusual specimens was not all that different in concept. It was strange because of the manner of the people she encountered, and because she could not read a single written word.

It made her even sorrier she had laughed.

But everything was a wonder. At Hoshi and Elizabeth's insistence, as well as the Captain's strong suggestion yesterday, she had activated the UT. Otherwise, she would have been incapable of keeping up or making any sense of the things around her. While it was still disconcerting to hear those she spoke to conversing with her in fluent Auran – especially when their lips failed to move with their words – it was better than trying to figure out what was being said.

In particular, she had to admit that her confidence in herself had been sadly misplaced, or at least exaggerated. As sure as she was that her training would carry her through; things here were simply too different. Everything about what she saw was strange, and though it all filled her with a sense of wonder, by the time she was alone in the room with Elizabeth Cutler, she had to admit in English: "Ready I am not. Too rilys ... different this is."

"Give it time. I'm sure you'll manage. This is just your first day, after all."

"I ... More than 'fitting in' it is. Here all are 'Starfleet'. Is civilian not. Where 'fit in' do I?"

Elizabeth extended her hand. Tia looked at it, not sure what the other meant, any more than she had been by the gesture of the man in the galley. Sensing her confusion, Elizabeth grasped her hand firmly. "With me."

Their eyes met, and Tia thought she understood.

---

They walked together in the ship's evening, having no particular destination, simply walking and talking. Tia could not keep her mind on any one conversation anyway, UT or no. There were simply too many things to see. Every turn, every sight was a wonder. She had spent the last day studying English with Hoshi, and the day before that she was so taken by the wonder of the people around her that it was all a jumble. But now, with a 'guide' to interpret what she was seeing, things were starting to make sense. She had turned off the UT, determined that she would do her best to learn this confusing language, no matter how hard.

"What this is?" She asked as they came to an alcove. It was little more than a depression in the wall, a small chamber fronted by a free standing control console.

"That's called a 'transporter'."

"What does it?"

"You put something in there, and it is converted into energy – don't ask me how, I'm not a technician – but the energy can be directed to another place and whatever was inside the chamber is recreated."

"Recreated?"

"Put back the way it was."

"Exactly as was it?" Elizabeth shrugged.

"So far as I know. I've never heard of any differences." She watched the way Tia was staring at the chamber. "What are you thinking?"

"I know not. Doctor Phlox said to me that to remove the scars from my body he could. I wonder, would be what he use this?"

"I don't know. Why don't you ask?" Tia was suddenly excited. To remove the scars of a lifetime of slavery, to be whole and unmarked?

"See him may we?"

"Of course."

---

When the two women entered the Infirmary Phlox was just finishing placing a piece of meat into a small jar half filled with sand. Suddenly, the sand seemed to explode into a fury, and when it settled the meat was gone. He recovered the jar, and turned to his visitors with an air of satisfaction. "Welcome. I was just finishing feeding my 'pets'."

"Are you sure he's had enough?" Cutler asked, eyeing the jar with a measure of apprehension.

"Not to worry. He doesn't care for live meat." He put the plate he had been holding aside. "So, what can I do for you?"

Tia was staring fixedly at the Doctor, but she couldn't speak. She was still excited, but now it was fading under a flood of apprehension. It was wrong, coming to him. She should not be thinking of this, but couldn't help it. She wanted to be free of these marks of suffering and slavery, but to ask... She couldn't. It was wrong. It was... She started to back away from the man, but Liz grabbed her wrist, restraining her.

"She wants to know if you can do anything about the scars." Elizabeth volunteered when the silence had dragged on interminably. Tia stared at Elizabeth, shocked at the woman's audacity. How could she take it on herself to –?

"Of course!" Phlox said expansively, coming over to her. "I was wondering when you were going to drop in."

"You – you can ... them remove?" She asked, stunned despite herself. She wanted this so badly that she could not imagine it happening.

"Unless you want to keep them." He said with a smile.

"Nyas!" She exclaimed, but then recovered. "No. I mean, I do not. I want gone them to be." Phlox took her arm, steering her toward a diagnostic bed.

"Well then, shall we get started?"

"Now?"

"Unless you have something more pressing?" Tia stared at him in confusion.

"Pressing?"

"No, Doctor, there's nothing pressing." Elizabeth cut in smoothly. "Now would be perfect."

---

Elizabeth waited in a chair as Tia lay down on the platform of what Phlox referred to as an 'Imaging Chamber', but which she had always suspected was considerably more. She knew that within it he would do all for Tia that needed to be done. She had not seen the extensive wounds and scars that marked the Auran's body, but had heard about them from Hoshi, who had seen.

Tia had been nervous, but the Doctor assured her there would be no pain. She could even relax enough to go to sleep if she wanted. She would be in there for about a half hour, and whether awake or not would make no difference. Neither scientist suspected Tia would take advantage of the offer of a nap.

He pressed a button and the platform slid into the chamber, which sealed itself. The Denobulan turned to Elizabeth with a smile. "How is she getting on?"

"Can she hear us?" Elizabeth asked cautiously.

"Oh, no. The chamber is completely soundproofed. I find it helps in keeping my patients quiescent if they don't hear a lot of the things that go on out here. Things like red alerts, for example." Elizabeth shook her head ruefully. Only a doctor would have that sense of priority.

"She's ... coming along. Her command of English is staggering, when you consider she first heard it four days ago. But when it comes to dealing with humans... I sometimes have to think back to my first days aboard Enterprise, how different everything was, how strange. But even so, I'm still not sure I'm the best one to empathize. I didn't exactly grow up in the cornfields of Iowa, after all." She looked up at Phlox speculatively. "Perhaps you're the best one to relate to her."

"I didn't grow up in the cornfields of Iowa either." He said with a disarming if impressively wide smile.

"No, but you know what it's like to be one among aliens."

"I'm sure you'll do fine."

---

Tia stared in disbelief at her reflection, staggered by the change. Her blue blouse raised to just below the level of her pringlee ... of her 'breasts', remembering what Hoshi had told her, but held high in the back, she looked over her shoulder at the mirror. "See them I can not!" She exclaimed, unable to tear her eyes from the smooth expanse of golden flesh. "Hidden they are not; tell I could!"

"No, they're gone." Phlox assured her. Tia dropped the blouse, which draped itself about her. She pulled at the collar, enough to see clearly down the gap, gasping in profound delight mingled with astonishment. She let go and was about to grasp the hem of her skirt, to check further, but the prohibitions Hoshi had stressed had her hesitate in front of Phlox and Elizabeth. Settling for running her hands up her legs, the expression of astonishment on her face at the smooth skin that met her touch was sufficiently telling to the pair. But when her hand traced all the way, and the look of apprehension was replaced with relief and joy, Elizabeth could not school her face into impassivity, something Tia noticed right away.

"They were especially thorough there." Tia told her, finishing her search. Elizabeth felt the blood drain from her face, and she could not silently restrain her own outrage. When the fiery string of expletives wore down about thirty seconds later, she saw Tia was staring at her, completely baffled.

"Don't bother!" The older woman exclaimed. "Even for snakes it's physically impossible!"


	3. Traditions

Chapter Three

Traditions

A short while later, after Phlox has completed his exam, something Elizabeth was completely willing, in fact anxious, for him to do in private; the two women resumed their informal 'tour' of Enterprise. Elizabeth, however, could not get her mind off what she had learned.

She knew virtually nothing about her new friend beyond what Hoshi had told her, and Hoshi had extracted a secret promise from Liz to make Tia her new 'best friend'. Certainly, there was no problem with that; the vivacious girl was quite endearing, with a joie de vivre that was infectious, but she was still a stranger and the more Liz learned the more she wanted to know ... and did not want to learn.

In the meantime, as they walked, Tia wanted to see everything, to touch everything, as if hardly believing it was real. She greeted everyone they passed with an uninhibited joy that was infectious, and they made little real progress about the ship because she wanted to talk to everyone, and her unalloyed joy made others want to respond in kind.

But eventually they reached a passage of corridor where they were alone.

"Tia," she began, unable to look at the girl, "when you were ... well... that is, when you were a -."

"Slave." Liz looked, but Tia was smiling brightly at her. "Say you may it. What I was it is."

"It's just, well, on my world we don't keep slaves." Even as she said it, Liz felt a stab of guilt. She could not remember ever having told so monumental a lie. "That is ..." She fidgeted, trying to amend it. "We don't anymore. We used to, but ... well, I just ..." The moment died, and the two women were left walking in silence.

"Elizabeth, please do feel shamed not. A slave I was. Am a slave now not. Wrenaouq ... no, 'Captain' Archer says free I am. I know what to be free it is do not, but learn I try." And it was clear she intended to try by throwing herself completely into whatever situation came her way. She looked everywhere, greeted everyone with a joy that one would usually find among old but long separated friends.

Having left the most recent one, they kept walking for another few meters before Liz finally found the words to say what was on her mind. "Your whole planet, they were kept by the Silurians?" Tia nodded.

"They before I was born came. Before then, we launch into space had tried to, but could not. After they came, we ... still could not."

"Why did they come?"

"Simple it is. What on our world common is, on yours and theirs is not. On our world ... sometimes I it hard find to believe you without gold live can, but for you iron is what for us gold is. But, to carry oxygen, klinasy we need."

"Klinasy?" Tia shrugged.

"In your ... mouth ...?"

"Tongue?"

"Tongue translation there is no. Klinasy gold and oxygen links, but binds it not. Without it is life not."

"I see, said the blind woman." Tia looked at her, baffled. "Nothing. It means that as a biologist I should have figured that out on my own."

"Do not ... weep. On this ship, there much is I 'figure out' do not." She smiled in delight, however, when she saw Hoshi Sato step into the intersection of the corridor just a few meters before them. "Hoshi, hello!" She exclaimed, hurrying forward. Before the linguist could get more than a word of greeting out, Tia stopped, reached out and placed both her hands, palm down, upon Hoshi's breasts. "Wonderful news it is! Dr. Phlox all my scars healed has!"

"That's ... that's great." Hoshi said, a bit uncomfortable with this greeting and trying not to offend by showing it. Tia looked at her with an expression of unexpected surprise, removed her hands from Hoshi and turned to Liz, who had come up beside them. "And you!" She exclaimed excitedly, placing her hands on the woman as she had done with Hoshi. "If your insistence not, have it done I would still not!"

"You ... you're welcome." Liz tentatively raised her own hands, placing them lightly upon Tia's fuller endowments. Seemingly satisfied, Tia turned again to Hoshi, but as she raised her hands Hoshi thought she had caught on to what was expected in that greeting, but something of her reluctance couldn't be kept from her face. Tia stopped, her hands about half an inch from Hoshi.

"Wrong something is?"

Hoshi forced herself to push the feeling away, reaching out and placing her hands upon the Auran's body, allowing her to do the same. She reminded herself it was nothing more than a cultural difference. "No, nothing's wrong. You just caught me off guard, that's all."

"Why? A greeting this is, when two friends to see each other happy are." She looked from one officer to the other. "Or it is this way between two women not?"

"No, really, it's fine. We're going to have to get used to your ways as well. It's just that you never greeted me like this before. It surprised me just a bit."

"Well, before last night know this I did not." Tia explained brightly. She felt Hoshi go still under her hands.

"What?" She asked in a voice that was absolutely flat, removing her hands from the girl's breasts.

Tia shrugged. "Told I was that this how humans who happy to see one another greet."

"Tia?" Liz spoke up, her tone as flat as Hoshi's. "Who taught you this greeting?"

"Crewman Harry Sanders."

"And was he very happy to meet you?"

"Oh, he _very_ happy was! He -." Their expressions finally cut through her good spirits and she froze, then just moving her eyes looked down at her hands upon Hoshi's breasts. She very carefully drew them back. "Something wrong I have done?"

"No. Something wrong he has done!"

"I know did not!" She insisted in wide eyed apprehension. "Told me ..."

"Don't worry about it. No harm done. Just, please, in the future, ask one of us if you're not sure about anything."

"But sure about this I was! Trinasli, um, 'understand I' did. Explained in detail he did."

"And just what did Sanders explain?" Liz asked, but Tia looked from one angry woman to the other, unable to answer. Hoshi noticed her growing fear.

"It's all right." She assured her, patting her hand. "Liz, would you take this? I have something to do." Sato said, turning and stalking away.

"Hoshi?" Cutler called. "Where are you going?"

"Sandfishing!"

---

When she was gone, Tia turned to Liz, no less nervous. "Know ... I did not. Believed him I did. Told me a human ligina ... tradition it was he did."

"I'm sorry. He lied."

Tia was shocked! "_Why_?!"

"Just like this morning, at breakfast ..." Liz shook her head. It hurt to think that anyone in the crew could be so ... warped as to take advantage of her naïveté. To tell her would not help anything, and she didn't want to say it, no matter how true it seemed to be. She was disgusted that anyone she knew would do such a thing, but...

She had hoped, and still did, that the incident this morning had been an isolated case, an example of male bonding that should have gone out with college age, but clearly she was wrong. Then she realized the three she had seen were not all that far removed from 'college age'. She wondered if it was necessary to bring this to the Captain. Honestly, she prayed it was not.

"Trying to learn I am." Tia said bitterly. "Confusing ... so confusing your customs are! But how learn can I if _lie_ your people do?!"

Liz stared at Tia's golden eyes and wished she had an answer.

"Good evening, ladies." A voice from down the junction of the corridor came unexpectedly. They turned, seeing Commander Tucker practically next to them.

The change in Tia was startlingly quick as she turned to him with an exclamation of delight. But she had her hands raised, partially ready to give the greeting she had learned until she remembered that it was a lie, hesitated, reached out and was left completely confused. Finally, she turned to Liz, her expression one of helpless appeal.

"What would you do on your planet?"

"I know not!" She exclaimed miserably. She turned to Tucker. "It is..." She turned back to Liz. "I am – he is..." She stopped, trying to express herself in words she did not have, becoming more flustered by the moment.

"What's wrong?" Cutler turned to him, not sure what to say.

"Oh, Commander, we're trying to work out how to greet someone. And it's just not as easy as it sounds."

"You had no problem yesterday." He reminded the girl.

"What did you do yesterday?" Liz cut in before Tia could answer. The younger girl shook her head.

"That not. Said I 'hello Shar-les'."

"See, that wasn't so hard." He smiled disarmingly. "Why don't we stick to that until you work things out?"

"I - ." She turned to Liz. "She - ." She looked up at Trip. "Crewman Sanders - ." She couldn't look then at either of them. "Oh Aura, I know do _not_!"

"Let's not bury ourselves in a bog. Things will work out." Her distress transmuted almost instantly into confusion, but...

"You are wise, Shar-les." She whispered, eyes downcast. She could not look at him. Hours before, she couldn't wait to see him, but now she was so confused, so embarrassed, she barely knew what to think, or how to express it even if she did know.

"Well, I'm glad someone thinks so. Look, the reason I was looking for you: There's going to be a movie this evening in the Galley. A really, really old one, but I think you'll enjoy it. 'Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Askobar' or something like that, I never could pronounce it. Would you like to see it with me?"

His voice fell off as he realized she was staring up at him, eyes wide and gleaming, but not saying anything. For a long moment she stood there, unable to answer, and finally Liz said "She'd love to."

Tia started at the older woman's voice, looking at her in stunned surprise. "Pick her up at Nineteen thirty."

"It's a date." He smiled at Tia and walked down the corridor, his smile more than just at her obvious surprise. He heard her say to Liz as he turned the corner;

"What happened?"

"I just got you a date."

"Date. Date." She tried the word; it made no sense. She shook her head, as if trying to clear it. "What date is?"

"You'll find out. Come on, we'll get you fixed up." She said, tugging lightly on Tia's arm, drawing her down the corridor. "Got something sexy?"

It was getting worse by the moment! "What 'sexy' is?"

Liz stopped, looking at her closely.

"Boy, Hoshi was right. Do you ever need a big sister!"


	4. Klinstinmanir

Chapter Four

Klinstinmanir

At the very moment that Liz Cutler was leading a very confused and uncertain Tia Anlor back to her own quarters; Ensign Hoshi Sato was pressing the buzzer to crew quarters D/14.

When the door slid open, she found herself facing a man a good quarter meter taller than herself, dressed in the standard jumpsuit uniform with red piping. He looked down at her in surprise. "Hoshi? Hello."

"Hello, Harry. May I come in for a moment?" She gave him a smile that she knew a man would be hard pressed to ignore, knowing that it would get her in and out of the corridor. He did not disappoint her.

The moment she was inside, she turned to him, taking his arm and pulling him into the room. "Oh, Harry, you don't know what being here means to me." She smiled up at him, her seductive tone and look enough to melt the hull plating.

"Yeah?"

"Oh, yes!" She put her hands on his chest. "I am really, really happy to see you!" As she pressed her hands to his chest, she saw a glimmer of recognition in his eyes. Bracing herself, she shoved the taller man as hard as she could; pushing him completely off his feet against the bulkhead, where his head collided with the metal with a satisfying '_clunk'_. He collapsed on the deck in a heap, staring up at her in astonishment.

"_Stay down_!" She commanded furiously, planting her foot hard against his chest to pin him seated against the bulkhead. She let all her outrage show in her burning eyes, her fiery tone. "We both know what you did, so listen carefully. You go near Tia Anlor again, you do anything to take advantage of her and I'll have Lt. Reed march you onto the bridge in your _skivvies_ to explain yourself to the Captain! Do you understand me?"

"Yes." The man, Hoshi realized, may be a fool, but he was not a stupid one.

Pushing hard off his chest, she used the momentum to turn and left the room, a veritable tidal wave of fury. She did not care how long he sat there, just so long as he believed she would do exactly what she said.

She got as far as the corridor junction, turning to the left, when she stopped, the moment catching up to her. As the full realization hit her, she found herself smiling. 'Well, 'meek, timid Hoshi' finally found something to make me mad enough to fight for!' As she continued down the corridor, friends smiled back at her in greeting, but then for a reason they could not fathom each started to feel just a tad … nervous.

"Elizabeth, please! What 'date' is?" The confused Auran implored as Liz led her into her own quarters. The brown haired woman looked at her closely.

"You really don't know? I mean, I know you must call it something else, but haven't you ever been … you know … 'out on a date'?" She tried to convey the meaning with her tone, but from the expression on the golden girl's face she was sure she was not getting anywhere.

"Date … date …" She shook her head. "Trinasli nyas … 'I understand no'. It the twenty-third day of Avrel is, in the cycle six thousand –." She stopped as Liz held up her hands, but then pressed on; "But how can one 'on' a date be?"

"Okay. Your world: When two people like each other and want to spend some time going out, they go somewhere together; they try to get to know one another, theyyyyyy…" She moved her hands in a drawing motion, trying to draw it out of the girl.

"Klinstinmanir." Liz shook her head, slapping her hands on her thighs.

"Shoulda' seen that one coming! All right, one more try. Tia, your world, two people, man and woman – and I hope that's all there is – they like each other, they want to spend time together somewhere, to get to know one another, talk, get acquainted. Yes?"

"Daai?"

"The man goes to the woman – or the woman to the man; I'm liberal – and asks her out."

"Of what?" Liz threw up her head.

"Holy God, how does Hoshi do this?"

"Go 'on date'?"

"No! Wait, yes." Liz decided, feeling like she was grasping at straws and that she had finally found one she could use. "You know about Hoshi and Seamus O'Cathain?"

"Daai."

"Well, they might go to the movies, like Trip invited you to. Sometimes go to the Arboretum; Hoshi likes the flowers there. They sit and talk, sometimes they make out."

"Make out what?"

She smiled at the girl's naïveté. "Little sis, are you in for an Education. Look, let's just get ready. Trip will be here in about a half hour."

"To make out?" Tia asked in monumental confusion.

"Well, if you're lucky. Come on."

Liz opened the closet panel, scanning the selection of clothing, which she noted ran heavily to dresses of primary colors, shades of blue or red, some pastels, all designed to accent and compliment a golden complexion. She was glad no one had chosen silver for the girl, she would have urged her to burn it.

She chose a royal blue dress of modest cut, judging it suitable for a first date. As she took it out of the closet, she heard Tia at the computer terminal. "Computer, sociological database. Context: male/female relations. Subject: 'make out'. Link to universal translator." She picked up the device, holding it to her ear.

A few moments later she stiffened, tension in every muscle. She dropped the device, which fell with a clatter to the deck, and turned to Liz with an expression of outraged shock. "Nyas! Natatorii culir! Depris mikor ulari!" Whether she was blushing or her complexion deepening from outrage Liz could not tell. "Naskata toriaal!" She cried, continuing in an increasingly distressed flood. The UT tried to render a translation from its landing place on the deck, but what little was not drowned out by the Auran's distressed tirade came to Liz as 'disgusting', 'horrible', 'perverted' and 'obscene'. From there, the language descended even beyond the device's limited ability.

Liz barely heard the door buzz and, hoping it was Hoshi. Praying the linguist could calm things down; she called out "Come in!" The door slid open; Tia glanced toward the door at the unexpected sound and bit a word squarely in half.

Trip Tucker stood there in a uniform that looked freshly pressed; his smile faltering a bit at the tension in the air, but the look on Tia's face was stunning. It was as if her voice had been switched off, and it had nothing to do with outrage or embarrassment. Liz had seen that look a million times, and was sure she could hear Tia's pounding heart even where she stood.

"Is this a bad time?" Trip asked, trying to mask his uncertainty. Tia couldn't answer, breathless from her tirade and barely able to force her thoughts, such as they were, into English.

"No, Commander, this is a perfect time." Liz said feelingly, putting the blue dress back on the rack and closing the door. "There's no better time for a Southern gentleman." She stressed, hoping he would take the hint. It was clear in his eyes that he did.

"Well, movie night awaits." He held out his hand to the silent girl. Tia looked at him, and then to Liz, who nodded encouragingly. She turned again to Trip, trying to force her thoughts into at least _some_ language!

"Our … date?"

"I promise, you'll enjoy it. You'll even love the popcorn." Tia looked at Liz, even more mystified, but the older woman made 'shooing' motions with her hands.

"Go! Enjoy."

Tia took a step forward; then smiled brightly, seeming to come to at least some resolution. When she took Trip's hand she raised it, turning it over and touching her lips to his wrist, finding the beat of his pulse. Several moments later she looked up at him with veiled eyes. "Find I did how greet you I want."

"Well … that's fine." He replied, uncertain. Tia looked at Liz.

"De klais."

When Trip led Tia out of the room, and the door slid into place, Liz let out a sigh of relief, feeling her knees giving out as she stepped over and sat down on the bed. But then, spying the UT left lying on the deck, she bent over to pick it up, checking for any damage. Finding none, she raised it and tried to reproduce Tia's accent as best she could. "De klais."

'For now,' the device returned. Liz looked at the door through which the couple had left; a soft smile on her lips.


End file.
